


Violet Love

by InvaderMAK



Series: Happy Hallownest AU [2]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and wholesome moments, Gen, Stockholm Syndrome, he protec, occasional humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:02:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24655021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvaderMAK/pseuds/InvaderMAK
Summary: This is The Collector's part of my Happy Hallownest AU.The Collector is much more innocent than most may expect. It only seeks a friend, and has no ill intentions. However, it is still broken and hurt by both the Pale King and the Lovebug's influences. The loneliness fades once it meets a new friend, Violet, a princess born of god, but not of void. But there may be some more similarities between the unlikely duo, besides their shared father.
Series: Happy Hallownest AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1782844
Comments: 5
Kudos: 15





	1. The Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet, daughter of the king and queen of Hallownest, finds herself trapped in an unfamiliar tower after fleeing from an invading army of mantises. Can she make it back home in her mother's gardens, or will a shadowy, overly affectionate creature prevent her escape?

It wasn't right. Why couldn't her king understand that she wanted a child to call her own, and not just an ever growing supply of rejected vessels? The Queen of Hallownest begged the king for her to keep a child, and with many attempts at persuasion, the Pale King finally obliged. The vessel project will continue, they agreed, but just this once, she may keep one for herself.

Little Violet was born a beautiful girl, who lived in the gardens with her mother. She had two curved horns atop her head, and two more smaller horns on both of her cheeks. Violet wore a purple dress, fitting for her name. She became good friends with Dryya, one of the five great knights, and the queen's bodyguard. Dryya occasionally got to give Violet lessons on the ways of wielding a nail. Violet not only enjoyed swinging her little nail, but the company of Dryya as well.

The gardens were downright beautiful. There always seemed to be a new adventure just waiting for the little princess among the foliage. She even found a little key hidden deep in her mother's garden! The White Lady fascinated her daughter with stories about the kingdom and its many amazing sights. One day, when she is older, she would get to see the rest of the kingdom. The very thought warmed Violet's little heart. Everything was perfect.

But that didn't last for much longer.

One terrible day, while Violet was being given her usual lessons, the gardens were invaded by a group of sickly mantises. Their bodies were unnaturally beefy, and their eyes glowed an eerie orange. True to her duty, Dryya sprung to action in defending her queen and princess. Violet was still a novice at swordplay, but wasn't about to let the intruders steal her home.

The mantises put up a good fight, but they were no match for Dryya. The fight went on for a while longer, but everything changed when the leader appeared. He was a huge mantis lord with a horrifically mutated body surrounded by a cloud of the bright substance. The sight of his huge claws were enough to put Violet on edge.

They had their backs against the walls of the queen's refuge. "Violet...when I give the word," Dryya said to the child in a serious tone, "I need you to run as far away as you can."

"What?" Violet said with surprise.

"Whatever you do, do not look back," said Dryya.

The Traitor Lord slowly advanced, mandibles dripping with orange liquid.

"Now!" Dryya cried, before throwing herself into the mantis lord.

At first, Violet didn't move. She froze with terror upon seeing the horrible mantis attack her friend.

"What are you doing!? Go!!!" Dryya yelled.

Violet turned and fled, leaving the knight to distract the Traitor Lord. She ran as fast and as far as her legs could carry her. The lush green gardens soon transitioning to a canyon filled with blue and pink hues. Violet spotted strange floating creatures sporting tentacles, but never dared to stop and get a better look.

She ran past a forest of mushrooms, soldiered through the city rain, and eventually found herself in an ashy wasteland. By then, her muscles screamed for her to stop, and her lungs felt as though they were on fire. But for all she knew, the mantises couldn't be too far off from catching up to her. She could almost feel the mantises' hot breath on the back of her neck. The sight of corpses falling from the sky above didn't help ease her terror, they only brought fearful tears to her eyes. Violet didn't know how much longer she could keep this up before fainting. She had to find somewhere to hide, somewhere safe, and quickly.

Then she saw it. The perfect place. It would require a bit of climbing, but at this point, Violet would do anything to stay out of sight. After hopping across various rocky platforms, she came to the entrance of a building that resembled the ones from the Heart of Hallownest. Without hesitation, Violet entered.

Her heart sank upon discovering a locked door just inside the building. Oh no, this won't do! Then she remembered the key she had found in the gardens. She wore it on a chain that hung from her neck, hoping to someday find whatever keyhole it belongs to. Violet inserted the key, finding it fit perfectly! She turned the key, unlocked the door, and ran inside. Finally away from the mantises, Violet brought her run to a slow walk.

That was when her walk became a hobble. Now that the adrenaline rush was fading, she felt pain suddenly take its place. Violet realized that she hadn't exactly been careful during her terror-filled run across the kingdom. A sharp pain emitted from her face, and upon reaching her hand up to touch it, she felt a crack traveling down her shell. That wasn't good; her mother warned her of this.

Her mother...was she alright? Dryya?

Violet's legs ached from overuse, as did the rest of her body. She suddenly found it hard to keep her eyes open. As the world around her began to spin, she tripped and fell forwards. She sobbed, reaching her arm out to grasp something, anything that could help her, but her surroundings only grew darker. Finally, she fell limp as she was engulfed by the darkness.

~ ~ ~

Violet opened her eyes after a long sleep. At first, she didn't know where she was, but then the painful memories flooded back to her. Right, her home was invaded, she ran all the way to the edge of the kingdom, nearly died, and hid inside a previously locked tower. All she needed to do now was wait. Maybe the mantises have left by now? Maybe Dryya would come find her? There was only one way for her to know for sure. Violet stood up, dusted herself off, and began to make her way towards the entrance.

_SMACK!_

Violet let out a pained yelp as she fell to the ground again. Rubbing her head, she looked forward. That's weird, there's nothing there. What did she just bump into? Holding out an arm, she felt an invisible wall in front of her - no, not just in front of her, it surrounded her. Panic slowly rose inside of her as she discovered that she was trapped inside a glass prison. Who would do this to her?

Violet searched her surroundings. The room was decorated in a beautiful gothic purple, but that wasn't so important. What was important was her realizing that she wasn't the only prisoner. Dozens of jars filled the large room, many of them holding bugs, some alive, and some dead. Violet took a step back, her heart pounding. When she turned around, she was met with the stare of two solid white eyes.

"AAAAAA!!!" she screamed, falling onto her rear end.

The dark creature let out a startled shriek in return, leaping away.

Violet slowly stood, placing her palms against the glass. She wanted to get a better look at her kidnapper. To her astonishment, they seemed to resemble a shadow, having four arms instead of two, and its only facial features were a pair of white eyes.

The stranger slowly approached her, eyes filled with curiosity. **"Alive...alive! You're safe!"** it said in a seemingly happy tone, despite not having a mouth.

"Why did you capture me?" Violet asked, fear present in her tone.

**"No no, not captured, _saved!_ " **the creature replied.

"...Can you let me out?"

What the creature did next wasn't what Violet wanted to hear: it laughed. It was an unsettlingly delirious laugh. **"Let you go? Never! You must stay!"**

Violet instantly began to regret her decision on entering the tower. "But-but I want to go home!"

**"Home not safe! This is home now! Protected at last!"**

"No! I don't wanna be here! I want my mother! Please let me go!"

But the shadow just laughed. Violet began to feel more tears trickle down her shell as her lip quivered. She fell into a helpless heap and cried.

The sound of her cries stopped the creature's insane laughter. Its white eyes angled with...worry? **"Oh, don't cry,"** it said. ** "You're safe here! Nothing can get to you now!"**

Violet only continued to bawl, covering her eyes with her tiny hands.

**"Don't cry, my love…"**

Violet looked up, her eyes wet with tears. "W-what did you call me..?"

**"My love,"** it repeated. Then it let out a chuckle, which quickly rose to more laughter; it was almost as if it had realized how silly it must have sounded to call a complete stranger its 'love.' ** "You must be kept safe! No one will hurt you now!"**

"But-but I…"

**"Safe now…"** the shadow said softly, stroking the glass walls of Violet's container. Then it began to giggle in an unsettling way, one that made Violet's chitin crawl.

"This...this is wrong! I don't feel safe trapped in here!"

The figure stopped cooing. ** "It's to keep you protected! The sickness won't get in! You won't get out!"**

"What sickness!?"

The stranger released its grasp on the glass jar. It brought two index fingers together against invisible lips, seemingly in thought. **"It doesn't know…"** As quickly as its apparent sanity appeared, it vanished. **"It must be saved!"**

Violet had just about given up at convincing it at that point. She looked down at the ground in silence. The air around her seemed to grow stale and heavy.

"I-I can't breathe…" Violet muttered.

** "Hm?" **

"I-I'm going to...suffocate in here, I can't…" Her heart was racing again.

**"My love! Don't leave me now!"** It looked to be panicking as well.

"Open...open the lid! I don't want to die here!"

**"But you'll leave!"**

"No, I won't, I-I promise! Please, it's getting dark in here!"

The black creature fidgeted its fingers nervously. A few seconds went by before it finally unscrewed the top of her confinement. Violet popped her head out of the jar, gasping for fresh air - well, as fresh as the air from underground could be. The being watched her every move, anxious that she'll bolt out of there. True to her word, Violet stayed put.

** "You...you stay?" **

"I said I would," she told it.

The figure's surprised expression slowly changed to a happy one. **"Oh, rejoice!"** It said, throwing its arms up in the air. ** "My love stays! Safe at last!"**

"What...what sickness?" Violet asked once again.

It seemed dumbfounded at first, before her words sank in. **"Oh! Sickness! It rots the mind, leaving only hostility! Very bad!"**

_The mantises…_ "Do you know what's causing it?"

**"No, no! No clue!"**

Violet looked down.

** "...My love--" **

"Violet," she said at last.

**"Violet love, do you...wish to stay?"**

"I…" Violet thought about her options. Then she thought up a lie. "That sickness doesn't sound good… maybe it would be best if I stayed here…" _At least until it's gone,_ she added silently.

**"Yes, yes! Please do! Under my protection!"**

Suddenly, the creature seemed to remember something. With swift movements, it plopped Violet back into the container and closed it tightly.

"Hey!"

**"Sickness spreads…"** it said, glancing around the room nervously. **"Safe in there!"**

"Why haven't you caught it?"

**"Don't know...immune… _immune?"_** Once again, the shadow laughed madly.

And once again, Violet didn't feel safe. How long was it planning to keep her here? Forever? The thought chilled her.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to get to know it.

"Do you have a name?"

**"Ha...hahahahaha..! No, no name! I just collect the helpless! Keep them safe!"** It laughed yet again.

_So it collects things…?_ "...What about Collector?"

The nickname caught it by surprise. ** "Oh, my love! Genius! Collector loves it!"**

"...Violet," she said again, glancing away.

**"This calls for a celebration! Stay there!"**

The Collector ran off to another room. Where did it think she was going to go while trapped in the jar? The Collector soon returned with a clump of what looked to be food. Violet was unable to identify exactly what kind it was.

**"Food for you!"**

"No thanks, I'm not hungry…" She was lying, but she knew better than to accept food from strangers.

Collector dropped the edible glob on the ground. **"My love..?"**

Violet was getting tired of hearing that. "My name is Violet!"

** "Violet, my love…" **

"What??"

The Collector said nothing.

Violet looked away, turning her back on it. All she wanted was to see if her mother and Dryya were okay, but clearly The Collector had other ideas.

**"...Don't be afraid…"** Collector said in a soft tone. **"You're a new one… I mustn't lose you!"**

"Why not?"

The Collector picked up her jar and stroked it lovingly. **"Pretty…"**

Violet fell silent, scared and confused.

Collector giggled. **"No need to be grumpy! Collector make you feel at home!"**

"But this isn't my home! I know you're trying to protect me, but I managed to get here on my own all the way from the gardens! I think I can handle myself!"

The Collector suddenly frowned. Before Violet could say more, it stomped to the other side of the room with the jar in tow. Violet had no idea where it was taking her, and she was afraid that she had angered it. Collector brought the jar down to the ground with enough force to crack the glass. Violet covered her eyes and shook with fear, terrified of what it was about to do to her.

**"Look,"** The Collector instructed.

She slowly uncovered her eyes. Before her stood her own reflection. The first thing she spotted was the damage of her shell, a large crack traveling across her left eye. The sight startled her, making her feel sick to her stomach.

**"You heal, but not all the way,"** Collector said.

Violet stared into the mirror, running her hand along the crack. Mother always told her that it was never a good sign to have a damaged shell. In fact, it was lethal. Fear gripped her like talons. "A-am I gonna die..?"

The Collector jumped at her question. **"No, no, no! Safe here! Safe with Collector!"** It picked up the jar again, eyes angled as though it was grinning. ** "No more tears! No more harm! My love shall be protected forever!"**

"But I don't feel safe here..."

**"Collector _make_ you safe! Do not leave poor Collector! This is where you belong, with me! And this, a home for us all! Haha! Ahahaha!!"**

"Stop it, you're scaring me!"

The Collector paused, but only for a moment. Then it began to laugh loudly. Violet shrunk back with fear, not knowing what else to do. She wanted to be back home with her mother, not trapped in a glass container by some madman. Violet felt like she had no say in whatever happened to her next. She wished that she could just disappear…

Suddenly, The Collector screamed, dropping the jar. It shattered upon hitting the ground, finally freeing Violet. She instantly made a break for it, heading down the long corridor. One of The Collector's hands bled a dark void, but it was more focused on its little friend.

**"My love, wait! Come back!!"**

The shattered glass had covered her in cuts and scratches, but that wasn't going to stop her from escaping. Violet skid to a halt upon coming across a room littered with more jars. She quickly but carefully weaved her way past the containers, never stopping to help the other prisoners escape. She silently promised that she would tell Dryya about the prisoners who were in need of rescue as soon as she got back home.

Violet saw the door come into view. She was almost out! But to her dismay, dust fell from the ceiling just before The Collector landed on the ground, blocking the way out. The Collector laughed as it held its outstretched arms towards her. She screamed as the shadow scooped her up with its four hands. Violet squirmed in the freezing grasp, desperate to slip out, but to no avail.

"Let me go!" she yelled.

**"Poor thing, all scratched up! Collector make you feel better!"**

Violet kicked and screamed as she was taken away from the door, but The Collector didn't loosen their grip. Once they were back on the top floor, Violet gave in and cried. The Collector placed her in a new jar. ** "Collector knows what to do!" **

It rushed towards their horde of bugs and found the perfect one. Inside was a round, blue insect, which panicked upon seeing them. The Collector grabbed the bug tightly and brought it back to Violet's open container. With a harsh poke through its skin, the insect spilled its bodily fluids all over Violet, drenching her with the glowing blue liquid.

**"There! All better,"** The Collector said happily.

Within seconds, her body seemed to absorb the liquid, and the pain of her cuts went away. She opened her eyes to find that the cuts had disappeared. Violet froze with confusion, staring at her arms and legs. "What...what was that..?"

**"Lifeblood,"** The Collector said, before clapping its hands excitedly.

"Lifeblood..?" The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't tell why.

**"Will you stay with me?"** Collector asked, looking a bit worried.

"I...don't have a choice, do I..?"

When The Collector didn't respond, she felt more tears run down her cheeks. Feeling utterly hopeless, Violet quietly sobbed inside her confinement.

**"...Why did you lie to me?"** it asked softly.

"Because...because you're scary…" Violet whimpered. "You won't let me go…"

**"Collector wants to protect you,"** it said.

"I know, but...you're treating me like a prisoner," she sniffled. "A-and I don't know whether to believe you or not… I wanna go home…"

The Collector held its worried expression. ** "Don't go,"** it said as it lifted her out of the jar, before placing her on the ground in front of it. Violet remained still, tears rolling down her face. The Collector slowly reached out its hand to wipe away her tears. It held its palm against her cheek in a gentle manner, staring into her sorrowful eyes.

**"Violet love… Collector will** ** keep you safe… I promise."**

All of a sudden, Violet felt something cold slip into the crack in her shell, making it sting. She found herself coughing soon after. An icy chill ran down her spine. She found it hard to breath, wheezing as her mind clouded over. Panicked, Violet fell to her hands and knees, hacking up a thick, black substance. Just when she thought she was done for, she managed to catch her breath again, and the coughing subsided. All of the panic and fear ceased abruptly, disappearing without a trace.

The Collector seemed to smile. **"It worked?"**

"What...happened? What did you...do to me?"

**"Collector helped you! Violet will now outlive those with the sickness!"**

"Sickness..?" Violet felt completely numb. Her head spun and she could barely stand. Worst of all, her memory was foggy. "How long have I been here..?"

The Collector thought for a moment. **"Long time. Violet stay with Collector?"**

A bit confused, Violet slowly nodded. "Uh-huh…"

Collector let out an exclamation of joy. Just then, it glanced at her. **"Does Violet remember..?"**

Despite the lack of explanation, Violet somehow knew what it was thinking. "You...saved me," she said. "...Thank you."

It let out more laughter. This time, it didn't seem to bother Violet. **"Wonderful! Collector is happy!"**

Violet found herself smiling. She then reached her arms out as an invitation for The Collector to lift her up. After being placed upon its shoulder, she giggled as The Collector tickled her tummy.

**"I will protect you, my love!"** Collector said, to which the child grinned.

Just like that, all of Violet's doubts had vanished. What doubts? She never had any! The Collector had always been her friend for as long as she could remember! But wait...she couldn't remember anything other than her friendship with The Collector. Was that a bad thing?

No, it wasn't. The Collector would never hurt her. She was happy by its side, as it was happy to be by hers. She trusted that it would continue to protect her until the end of time.

Just Violet and her best friend…under its protection, everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The void is only toxic in vast quantities, and can be manipulated by void creatures. However, in this case, The Collector never meant to hurt anyone or take advantage of its own void substance.


	2. Second Thoughts

The Collector had lost count of the days as they flew by, just it and its sweet Violet. The little one was the most precious thing it had ever managed to save, let alone the only one it befriended - not to mention she had successfully prevented catching the sickness that continues to plague all of Hallownest. As a token of their friendship, The Collector surprised her with the gift of a little earring it had found in the city. She wore it every day; oh, how it suited her!

The Collector noticed something had changed upon first meeting the child...almost with no effort, she had grown close to it. It wracked its mind, trying to scrape up an explanation. Not a single one besides her had done this; the others were always afraid of it. But for what reason? The Collector wouldn't hurt a vengefly! Day after day, the constant yearn for an answer only grew stronger. It had to know!

It remembered how frightened its dear Violet looked upon meeting it for the first time. But as soon as it helped her, she decided to trust it. Never before has that happened, nor has it happened since. What was it that had changed her mind so suddenly?

An unsettling feeling came to it. Her mother… she hadn't mentioned her mother ever since the day they met. Not once did Violet bring up any of her memories before then. She only went along happily with everything The Collector did, and supported its every decision. It was almost as if she…

... _couldn't_ remember.

A horrible wave of emotions flooded its being, realization plunging through it like a nail. It had promised to take away her pain and sorrows, but instead, it took everything. The void creature collapsed with distraught, hands shaking and dripping with the black substance that made up its form.

 **"Collector...hurt Violet," **it told itself. Its breath caught in its throat as white tears formed. It stared at its hands; never before had it realized that they had been used to hurt the ones it loved rather than for protection. ** "Collector...never meant to hurt Violet…" **It held onto its head with its second set of hands, frozen, mortified.

**"My love… my love… I'm sorry…" **

All it could muster was a quiet chuckle. Never before had it felt so alone.

~ ~ ~

"Collector!" Violet called. She had just returned to the tower after exploring the nearby areas. Behind her dragged a weapon in the form of a silver key, which was almost as big as she was. She found the weapon to be very fitting, as it reminded her of her friend. She carried it mainly for self defense, much like The Collector's promise for her protection. When no response came after her call, she tried again. "Collector, are you here?"

With every floor of the tower reached, Violet heard a soft murmur gradually grow clearer. By the time she made it to the top, she discovered that the sound was coming from her friend, quietly mumbling to itself.

"Collector?" Violet was surprised to find her friend sitting with their back turned towards her...inside one of the glass jars. Violet giggled. "What are you doing in there," she asked innocently.

The Collector only went dead silent.

Violet's smile faded. "Hey, are you okay?"

**"Violet, my love...please...stay where you are. Don't come any closer..." **

"Why? What's wrong?"

**"Collector wants to protect you…" **

"What do you mean? You always protect me!"

**"My love...not safe here...not safe...with me." **

She never expected to hear those words. "W...what..?"

The Collector looked over its shoulder, eyes dripping with soul. It let out a grim chuckle. ** "I hurt you…"**

"When did...no you didn't!"

 **"Collector took your mind,"** it said sadly. **"Violet doesn't remember mother…"**

She couldn't believe it, yet remained silent.

**"Collector broke their promise…" **

Violet couldn't bear to see her friend so sad. "Collector, please don't cry…"

A look of confusion crossed its features. **"Violet...not upset? How could this be?"** It laughed again. **"Collector has been a monster, yet you're not afraid?"**

"You're not a monster!"

 **"I took _everything!"_** It cried. Its voice cracked as it wept. **"I thought I saved you, but I...I…"** Collector buried its dripping face in its hands. It sat there, continuing to sob.

Violet approached it, concern in her eyes. "...Would you at least get out of there so I can hug you?"

Collector looked at her again, sniffling. ** "Violet...still cares?"**

"I _do_ care," she confirmed.

**"...Even after what Collector has done..?" **

"Well, I wouldn't be trying to comfort you if I didn't care."

It chuckled. **"Collector doesn't understand… how have they not broken your heart?"**

"Because I _don't_ remember," she said. "I don't...have a reason to be upset with you."

The Collector went silent. A moment later, it began to laugh. The laughter was soft at first, before gradually becoming louder.

Violet smiled a little. "Come on, let's get you out of there."

The Collector continued to laugh in an almost hysterical manner as Violet twisted off the lid of its confinement. The laughter sounded quite insane, but she had grown used to it. She held out a hand to lift it out of the jar. To her surprise, she slipped and fell inside, landing on The Collector's lap. Violet laughed a little at her own clumsiness. Collector scooped her up and hugged her, its sorrow seemingly vanishing.

 **"My love, I will keep you safe from harm,"** it said with a smile. It was almost as if it had already forgotten its troubles. It nuzzled her face lovingly. **"My sweet little Violet…"**

"Glad to have you back," she said.

**"I haven't gone anywhere! I would never leave you, never, ever, ever! Not my precious Violet!" **

Violet hugged it in return. As crazy as it seemed, it really did make her happy. She still couldn't possibly imagine her friend hurting her like that, but she wasn't going to voice her disbelief. If it truly did erase her memories, then she was bound to recover them eventually. Though that was another adventure for another day.

~ ~ ~

The child slept peacefully among the pile of pillows The Collector had given her. The other, however, was feeling anything but content. The way it had acted in front of Violet hours ago was so unlike it. It was supposed to bring hope to those in need, not wallow in its own regret. This made it feel sick, knowing that it allowed her to see it in such a sorry state.

Yet she seemed to forgive it without a second thought. Yes, it enjoyed her company, but it just...felt a bit off. It wasn't normal for someone to stay with it for this long; usually its collection either escaped or perished. The very thought of having a true friend was mind boggling. At the same time, it didn't want to lose her. She made it too happy for it to ever want to let her go.

The Collector kicked itself for mentioning Violet's memory loss to her. What if she changed her mind about wanting to stay with it? The Collector couldn't bear the thought of losing its only friend. Then it came to a conclusion: it simply had to make her stay as comfortable as possible. As long as she was happy, _it_ was happy. It just had to keep it that way.

**"Keep her happy...my love must stay…" **

** **


	3. Visitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after another literary work of mine entitled Guardian Angel, found in my Happy Hallownest AU series

It had been a few days since Quirrel had met his newest friend. They previously didn't seem to have a name, though they had no problem with Quirrel coming up with a nickname for them. Little Angel, he calls them, or just Angel. Within the last few days, Angel had been on a quest to save those who are in need of help. They have been running around the kingdom, leaving Quirrel to follow behind, both due to supervision, and their friendship. It is strange, almost as if they always know where to go and when to be there. Could there be more to this child than it may seem?

Quirrel and his companion slide down the walls that surround the edge of the kingdom. He takes care to dispatch those under the influence of the infection along the way, especially the primal aspids. Ironically, the child doesn't seem to detest this. Perhaps because they understand that mercy isn't always the best option? True, the little one wishes for no one to suffer such torment, but merciless measures are only to be made when absolutely necessary; pain and regret is one thing, but endless torture is another.

Quirrel admires the little one's motives. In fact, he has grown to agree with them. There is still hope for Hallownest, albeit scarce, but those odds are what they are willing to improve.

"Where to next, little one?" Quirrel asks his friend.

The child spots a tower nearby, and without reluctance, begins to skip towards it. Quirrel follows, happy to aid in the little one's quest.

Upon entering, however, Quirrel becomes uncertain. He can hear a distant sound, one that makes him feel uneasy.

"Little one, I don't think this is a good place to look," he says. As much as he wants to give them a reason why, he fears that the child isn't quite ready to hear of such a topic. "This place fills me with unease," he admits, leaving out the finer details.

The child doesn't heed his warning, and instead runs through an open doorway.

"No, wait!" Quirrel exclaims, chasing after them. They are much too quick for the old bug, much to his dismay. "Angel, get back here!"

The farther up the child climbs, more red flags appear, all in which they fail to notice. Quirrel, however, is becoming more and more concerned with each step.

Quirrel finally catches up to the vessel after they had stopped in front of a round object. " _Huff_...Little Angel...what did I say about running off?"

Angel doesn't move a muscle. They stare intently at the object in front of them.

"We really shouldn't be here," Quirrel says nervously. "Did you see those glass prisons on the way up here? This is not a place for children, let alone anyone else…"

The child places their small hands upon the smooth, shiny surface before them. "Trapped," they say softly.

"Yes, I know, and that's why I don't want to stay here any longer!"

"Friend, see…" Angel says.

"Angel, I'm not going to ask again! Let's go!"

"No go," the child says in a more clear tone of voice. "See."

Quirrel finally decides to take a look at what the child had found. Before them sits another glass prison. Inside stands a small figure with a similar appearance to that of Angel's, along with the addition of a lavender dress.

"C-cold… " she whispers. "H-help…"

Quirrel spots a black liquid dripping from the child's eyes. It is too thick to be tears, and has been staining her face as though it has been happening for a while. The trapped child looks worried, but not quite terrified. Has she become accustomed to her confinement? How long has she been held here?

"Angel…" Quirrel whispers, an icy fear beginning to claw up his spine.

As the child studies the prisoner, Quirrel is stricken with a daunting realization. The sound he had heard upon first entering the tower had ceased. Where had it gone? Why did it stop?

"A-Angel…" he mumbles, now trembling. Something is wrong, there's no denying it.

"Come," Angel offers to the prisoner. "Give help."

The child inside the glass container hesitates, before finally nodding.

Angel jumps in an attempt to reach the lid of the jar, but it remains just out of reach. "Friend, open!"

Quirrel snaps out of his frozen state. He quickly twists the lid off of the jar, carefully setting it down. Then he lifts the child out of her confinement, before setting her down as well. The poor thing is freezing. "Let's get out of here before someone finds us."

Suddenly, a few lumafly lamps shatter, leaving only minimal light for the trio to traverse through. Angel leaps a nail's length in the air from the startling noise as Quirrel curls up into a ball. A few seconds go by before he cautiously unrolls himself.

"Nobody move," Quirrel says as he stands, glancing around for any sign of threats.

Their surroundings slowly and gradually begin to warp in an incomprehensible manner. Quirrel stares with utter bewilderment as the shadows curl inwardly towards Angel. The unnatural phenomenon leaves him puzzled. Suddenly, his heart skips a beat upon realizing what he is seeing.

That isn't a shadow, those are _hands._

"Angel-! Angel, behind you!!"

The child is given no time to react before the darkness scoops them up. Angel screams as they are held up in the air alongside their smaller companion. Before they knew it, the children had been plopped into a separate container, the lid now screwed on tightly.

Two bright circles appear in the blackness. Quirrel's breath catches in his throat as he spots a pair of white eyes upon a jet black creature. The slender being lets out a demented cackle, three arms outstretched to display a collection of claw-like fingers. Its fourth arm wraps around the children's shared prison.

Quirrel freezes with terror once again, but only momentarily. "L-Let them go," he demands, the shaking of his voice betraying him. He grips his nail and gets into a fighting stance. "Now."

"It's okay, th-they were only trying to help!" the girl says to their kidnapper, much to Quirrel's confusion.

The figure holds the container close to its slick body, not about to give up its capture. ** "Mine…"** it rasps, staring at Quirrel.

Left with no choice, Quirrel lunges towards the creature with his nail at the ready. To his dismay, the being leaps over him with a shout. Once Quirrel spun around, the creature had already begun to flee with the children. "No! Get back here!" he yells, giving chase.

"Friend! Friend!!" Angel cries as the void creature hops away.

"Hang in there, little ones!" Quirrel calls as he continues his pursuit.

The shadow slides to a stop near an empty jar. It lifts the jar with one of its extra limbs, and flings it in the direction of the pill bug. Quirrel manages to dodge the oncoming projectile, darting out of the way of the shrapnel of broken glass.

"Stop, y-you'll hurt him!" the little girl cries, but to no avail. "Just put us d-d-down, please!"

 **"No...no, no, no..."** The kidnapper shakes with fear of losing its prize. ** "Protect Violet..!"**

It throws a few more containers, with each one dodged smoothly. Quirrel was just inches away from spearing the shadow. Just before he can drive his nail through the creature's body, it jumps over him again. Quirrel skids to a halt, glancing over his shoulder. Without a single warning, a glass jar gets smashed against his head, rendering him unconscious. Angel screams as Quirrel collapses to the ground.

"Collector!!" Violet shouts.

Their kidnapper laughs triumphantly. Angel stares at Quirrel's unmoving body, void tears beginning to form.

"Friend! Friend, no go! No go, stay!!"

The Collector continues to laugh, much to the child's detestation. The child begins to sob uncontrollably.

"Collector, they weren't trying to hurt m-me!" Violet says with mild anger, in spite of her shivering. "Look, you made them cry!"

The Collector ceases its psychotic laughter. It begins to make those strange sounds that Angel's friend was so worked up over. It seems to be trying to entertain the child, though, which doesn't work in the slightest.

"Hey, i-it's okay, it's okay!" Violet says as Angel panics.

The child doesn't calm down, and instead begins to scream. This seems to do something, but not with a favorable outcome. The Collector mutters hushed words to the child, all the while sticking a finger through one of the tiny holes in the lid of the jar. Its finger seems to drip with the very substance that makes up its body; it adds a single drop of void to the children's confinement.

"No, no, wait--!" Violet exclaims. "That's not gonna help!"

To Angel's terror, the void droplet rolls toward them. Angel's screams become louder, before suddenly erupting into a horrible shriek, meanwhile conjuring a blast of soul and void. The glass shatters, sending the children to fall to the ground below. The Collector leaps back with astonishment.

Violet brings herself to her feet again. "What...was that?"

Angel dashes towards Quirrel, leaving Violet and The Collector stunned. The child is frantic, unable to know for sure if Quirrel still had a pulse or not. They cry dark colored tears.

"Friend no go," Angel whimpers. "Stay, stay!"

The Collector breaks out of its shocked state, and begins to head towards them.

The child panics. "Up, up, up!!"

Collector does not try to grab them this time, but instead studies them with admiration. This tiny creature had not only managed to cast an advanced spell, but is also made up of a similar substance. Could it be that there are more just like it? The very thought brings it so much joy!

Angel crawls away with their back facing the floor, terrified. "N-no...no hurt...no hurt…"

"He's not g-gonna hurt you," Violet says to the trembling child. "R-right, Collector?"

 **"No, no, no!"** Collector says. **"Collector never harms, only protects!"**

But it had hurt their friend! "Friend…friend hurt," Angel says. "Why hurt friend?"

The pill bug had threatened to take its friend away from it. It couldn't let that happen. ** "Must...protect Violet."**

"But th-they weren't trying to hurt me," Violet says. "Don't you think...y-you owe them an apology?"

The Collector glances down with shame. **"Collector sorry…"**

The child glances at Quirrel with worry. "Friend go..?"

Collector tilts its head with confusion. Angel tears up again, pulling Quirrel into a tight hug. "...Help friend," Angel pleads.

The Collector is silent. Then it runs off.

"No! No go! Help friend!"

Beside an unconscious Quirrel, Angel quietly sobs. They lay on their belly with their face pressed against their crossed arms.

"Hey…" Violet sits next to Angel. "It's okay. He-he'll be fine, I promise."

Angel doesn't believe her for a second. "F-friend...gone…"

"Collector just w-went to get s-something that can help him!" Violet pauses, rubbing her hands together in the hopes of warming herself up. "He'll be right back, and he'll help your friend get b-b-better."

Angel looks up, sniffling. "Friend no go..?"

The sound of slow breathing catches their attention.

Angel glances at Quirrel to find his chest rising and falling. Their friend is okay!

"Friend!" Angel exclaims happily.

"See? I told you!" Violet smiles. "Just a bit of b-broken glass, that's all. Nothing too bad."

Angel finally notices the sight of Quirrel's injury upon Violet's mentioning. Regardless of what Violet says, it worries them. "No bad..?"

"Well it-it can be bad, but I don't think it is this time. It's not like he was...s-stabbed or anything…" Violet is unsure if she is trying to convince them, or herself. Relief floods through her as she spots Quirrel open his eyes a moment later.

"Ung...huh? Angel..?"

"Friend! Friend!" The child celebrates by bouncing up and down.

Quirrel smiles weakly upon seeing his friend in such a happy state. "Where are we..?"

Before either child can respond, The Collector returns with a blue insect in its grasp. **"Alive!"**

"What is that thing!?!" Quirrel shouts, sitting up. "Oh, wait…" he says, the most recent memories returning. After a moment, Quirrel quickly gets up to his feet. "We need to go, right now."

"Friend hurt!" the little one argues.

"I'm not hurt, I'm fine," Quirrel says. Just after this does he finally notice the pain in the back of his head. He reaches back to touch it, only to recoil from a sharp sting, accompanied by something wet. Quirrel reluctantly brings his hand forward again, and finds exactly what he was afraid of: a dark blue liquid.

"W-why am I bleeding..?" he stutters.

Angel glances at The Collector with a frown, who laughs sheepishly.

"Well, you were hit i-in the head with a glass j-jar," Violet says, "which must have sh-shattered when it hit you. I'm s-surprised you're alright..."

Quirrel slowly takes off his bandana. Upon inspecting it, he finds it almost completely soaked in his own blood. His body turns cold. "O-oh…"

Angel and Violet have to catch Quirrel as he nearly faints.

 **"Collector help!"** The Collector says, holding up the Lifeseed.

"N-no, no…" Quirrel mutters with distrust. "I don't...need..."

"Help friend," the child instructs.

The Collector seems to smile. It holds the Lifeseed above Quirrel's head and crushes it in its grasp. Lifeblood spills all over Quirrel, much to his dislike.

"No, drink!" Angel says with a small hint of amusement.

"You want me to do what..?" Quirrel almost shudders at the thought.

"Good," Angel says. They run their finger along the puddle of bright blue blood sitting at Quirrel's feet. Violet watches with curiosity.

The pill bug remains skeptical. "I-I don't think--"

Without a warning, Angel shoves their finger into Quirrel's mouth. Quirrel gags from the sudden repulsive action. He pauses, testing the flavor against his tongue. The blood is sweet on his taste buds. Quirrel hates the thought of consuming other creatures, but the delicious taste of this particular specimen is almost too good to turn down.

He wipes the blood from his face with his hand, before once again taking another taste. Unable to resist any longer, Quirrel licks up the remains of the Lifeseed's delectable fluid. As he does this, his shell becomes coated in a protective layer, which stops the bleeding. He doesn't stop himself until he hears Violet and The Collector laugh.

"What?" Quirrel asks, dumbfounded. He instantly realizes that he had been licking the floor. He quickly stands, embarrassed with himself. It was as if he had lost all control of his actions, wanting nothing more than to drink every last drop of the refreshing liquid. The thought scares him.

Angel giggles with delight. "Friend," they say, before giving the pill bug a hug.

"I-I didn't even know you were su-supposed to drink it," Violet says with a little smile.

Quirrel cannot help but to glance at Violet. Despite the fact that it doesn't feel that cold in the tower, she continues to shiver as though she had jumped into a pool of freezing water. The child even looks pale, albeit her white shell.

Quirrel looks at The Collector with curiosity. Yes, it does seem rather nice, but there is something else about it that makes his chitin crawl. Not only are its features either perfectly black or white, it presents a strangely vague familiarity as well. He has no idea why, but studying the creature triggers thoughts of the missing king. What did he have to do with this mysterious figure? More importantly, does The Collector have anything to do with the reason behind Violet's unnatural chill?

"...Who are you?" Quirrel asks cautiously.

 **"Collector!"** it replies in a joyous manner.

"Yes, I understand, though I would like to know your name."

The creature looks a bit confused. **"Collector,"** it says again.

"Oh, of course," Quirrel laughs a little.

 **"Help Violet?"** It asks all of a sudden.

"Hm?" He glances down at Violet. "Oh, um...I'm afraid I don't know what's causing her...sickness. I was hoping you did."

"Dark," Angel says. "Home…"

Quirrel looks at his friend, confused by their words.

 **"M-my fault…"** The Collector replies sadly. **"Wanted to protect Violet from the sickness…but brought another."**

Angel shakes their head. "No sick. Home."

"Home..? But I'm so c-cold…" Violet shivers. "It w-w-wasn't like that before, I don't think…"

"How long has this been going on?" Quirrel asks.

"I-I don't know...when it first started it w-wasn't that b-b-bad...but n-now it...it's getting worse…I-I'm really scared…"

Quirrel ponders for a moment. "Perhaps it will help if we take her to a hot spring. Surely we can find one nearby?"

"Um...I-I think there's one in the city…a-and one up there in...the-the thing I don't like...I-I know what it's called, I just...I-I…"

"It's alright, you don't have to say." Quirrel looks at The Collector. "What's the fastest way to the city from here?"

 **"Love tower _in_ ****the city!"** Collector replies. **"This way, this way!"**

The Collector takes Violet by the hand and escorts Quirrel and Angel towards the entrance to the tower. Just outside, they come to an opening on the floor. **"Follow me!"** Collector says with excitement. The lower entrance to the tower leads to a cave where belflies guard their territory.

"Oh no, not these again…" Quirrel mutters.

To his astonishment, The Collector hops past the belflies, signaling them to fly towards it. It is too fast for them, resulting in them exploding against the rocky ground, sending out a blast of infection. Quirrel flinches, turning his face away from the vial spray of orange pus. How he still hasn't been infected is beyond him.

"B-but the city's that way," Violet says as she is practically dragged along in The Collector's grasp.

 **"Must check grub, my love!"** The Collector giggles upon almost rhyming unintentionally. It was previously unaware of its skill in poetry.

The Collector comes to a stop in front of a glass jar hidden under a rocky platform. It smiles and waves at the little grub still safely inside. The grub seems to remain in a sorrowful mood, but The Collector doesn't mind; they will be thanking it later for preserving them, safely tucked away from the infection.

Violet and The Collector swiftly return to their escort. By then, Violet is being carried in one of her friend's set of arms. ** "Off we go!" **It says with joy, once again leading the pill bug and his companion towards the city.

"I don't mean to be rude, but we're supposed to be taking her to the city!" Quirrel yells, trying his best to keep up with the bouncing shadow. "It would be best not to waste time!"

 **"Of course, of course!"** Collector replies in an almost sing-song manner. ** "Almost there!"**

The Collector dives towards a tiny opening in the leftmost wall. Little does it know that the hole is being guarded by another belfly. It lets out a shrill cry as it spreads its wings, before dive bombing towards the hyperactive shadow. Quirrel gasps when he hears their collective screams.

He looks over the edge of the drop. "Are you two alright!?"

Violet and The Collector are found lying in the murky water. Violet slowly stands back up. "Ow ow ow...I hate when that h-happens…Collector?"

The figure lay motionless for a few seconds more, before letting out a giggle of delight. Quirrel releases a breath he didn't know he was holding. The Collector gets up, and walks towards the hole in the wall. **"Through here,"** it says.

Quirrel and Angel drop down into the shallow black waters. "How are we supposed to fit through there," Quirrel asks. "I'm sure that the children can, but I have my doubts about you and I..."

The Collector seems to smile. To Quirrel's surprise, its body melts and disappears into the water. They watch as the shadow slips into the narrow hole. Quirrel approaches the hole with his usual curious demeanor, only to leap back when The Collector's head pops out again.

** "You coming?" **

Violet and Angel soon enter without reluctance. Quirrel stays behind, glancing away. "I don't think I can fit through there!" he says again.

"Hide," Angel's voice echoes through the small tunnel.

"'Hide?'" He repeats, uncertain of the child's indication.

"Ball," they say to him.

"Oh, right." Quirrel hesitates, before rolling himself into a sphere. There is no way he could possibly roll through without having to stop to catch a breath, especially while submerged in water. He pokes his head out from his defensive position. "Now what?"

A black tendril suddenly whips out from inside the tunnel. Quirrel shrieks, before rolling back up again. He feels water move beneath him swiftly. When it subsided, he felt someone tap on his shell.

"W-what?" He stutters, sneaking another peek.

 **"Hi,"** Collector says in greeting while just millimeters away from his face.

"AAAAAAH!!!"

Violet and Angel burst into laughter. Quirrel frowns at The Collector, which is more than likely enjoying itself. He unrolls himself and stands up, realizing that The Collector had pulled him through the narrow tunnel.

"Oh, great, I left my nail back in the--" Quirrel pauses upon seeing The Collector presenting his weapon to him. "Oh, thank you."

"The pleasure house is j-just over there," Violet says, pointing in the direction of a tall building.

"Past these sentries," Quirrel adds disdainfully.

But The Collector throws caution to the wind and runs past the first great sentry with Violet in tow. Quirrel and Angel are left with no choice but to brave the synthetic storm. The quartet manages to reach the pleasure house with no more than a few scratches.

"Perhaps I should lead next time?" Quirrel suggests, meanwhile out of breath. He is only answered by a laugh.

Once inside, the four are met with a poster displaying the slender figure of songstress Marissa. Quirrel wrings out his bandana, while Angel shook in their leafy apparel.

"Alright...just in adv-vance, don't get off the lift until we reach the v-very top," Violet instructs. "Otherwise we'll b-b-be here all day."

By a mere miracle, all four are able to fit on the lift at one time. They ride the lift for nearly an entire minute before finally reaching the top. An elderly beetle is found relaxing in the hot spring. She sits up upon seeing them.

"Oh, more visitors?"

Quirrel dips his head. "Good afternoon, ma'am. I hope it wouldn't be too much trouble for a few more to join you?"

"Go on right ahead, dearie," the beetle replies kindly.

"Thank you," Quirrel says with another nod.

The Collector carefully places Violet down. She walks towards the inviting, bubbly spa. Violet steps in and sits.

Quirrel is unable to notice any changes in her expression. "...Well?"

"It's cold…"

The beetle glances at the child with surprise. "Dearie, are you feeling well? I assure you, the water is quite warm."

Quirrel tests the temperature of the water with his foot. The elder is right, the water is at a perfect temperature. Hearing Violet confirm the opposite worries him greatly. "You don't feel any change at all?"

"I...j-just a little...I feel a little better...but still cold…"

The beetle gives her a worrisome expression. "Oh, you poor dear...I wish I knew how to help, really, I do, but...well, it just so happens that I-I'm broke."

 _Then how did you--?_ Quirrel knew better than to question her. Doing so would be rude.

Violet looks down at the bubbling water. Tears threaten to trickle down her face to go along with the dripping void. Is she going to be like this for the rest of her life? How is she still alive in the first place?

"Th-thank you...for trying…" Violet says with a sniffle, "but I don't think I'll ever find a cure…"

Angel walks closer to Violet. They stand just outside the hot spring. "Dark home."

"No...i-it's cold...and my head is pounding…"

Angel sits down and places a hand upon her shoulder. "Home," they say again.

"I-I don't understand…"

Angel touches Violet's face. "Help friend."

Within seconds, the pressure built up in her shell begins to decrease. Violet feels the black substance leave her body through the crack in her shell. Where dull numbness was once present, feeling finally returns. There is no pain, yet Violet suddenly seems winded.

 **"My love! My love, are you okay!?"** Collector asks worriedly.

"I…" at first, she couldn't breathe. Soon, her breathing stabilizes. "Y-yeah...I'm okay…"

"Help friend?" Angel asks.

Violet finally feels warmth return to her body. "Uh-huh…"

"Oh, thank goodness…" the elderly beetle sighs.

 **"Violet's okay! Rejoice!"** Collector cheers.

Quirrel is left astounded by Angel's ability to pull void from Violet's body. "How...how did you do that?"

Angel turns to face their friend. "Dark home." They glance at Violet again. "Friend no sibling…"

"'Sibling?'" Quirrel echoes.

Angel points at The Collector. "Sibling."

"I don't understand...what does that have to do with..."

Angel's feet suddenly begin to melt to the floor. Quirrel gasps, astonished by their ability. Their feet reforms as quickly as they had dissolved.

The Collector had also stared at the child as they revealed that their body is made of void. **"Collector...not alone?"**

Angel looks up at The Collector, and spreads their arms out in the invitation for a hug. Collector laughs with glee, scooping the little one up with their four arms.

"Mother…"

This catches the attention of The Collector. ** "What?"**

"M-Mother…" Violet whispers again. "I...I remember Mother!"

The Collector gently sets Angel down. ** "M-my love..?"**

"Collector, you...you were right, you…"

The Collector appears to be afraid.

"Is she okay..? Are they okay? Oh no, they must be worried sick!"

 **"Violet, don't leave me!!"** Collector blurts out all of a sudden.

Violet is taken by surprise. "What?"

The Collector begins to cry white tears. ** "Don't go...don't leave me...not poor Collector…"**

Violet's eyes angle with sadness. Then she gives The Collector a big hug. "Collector, I would never dream of saying goodbye…you're my best friend."

The Collector stands still for a few seconds longer. Then it breaks into a sob, holding Violet in its arms. It repeats her name, seemingly in both happiness and sorrow.

"It's okay, Collector…" Violet says reassuringly. "It's alright...hey, maybe you can come with me to meet her!"

 **"C-Collector would l-love that…"** it whimpers.

Violet smiles happily. She glances at Angel. "Thank you. Both of you."

Quirrel returns the smile. "You're welcome."

"Would the two of you like to come with us?" Violet asks.

Before Quirrel can respond, Angel shakes their head.

"Oh? Why not?"

"Save friend," Angel says, before heading back towards the lift.

Violet is left bewildered, before letting out a laugh. "Okay."

"My, my, where is the little dearie off to now?" the beetle asks with amusement.

"I um...I should follow them," Quirrel says with a half-hearted chuckle. "Oh, and before I forget, my name's Quirrel."

Violet smiles. "Well, I'm happy to have met you, Quirrel."

 **"Collector is happy too!" **The Collector says.

Quirrel dips his head. "I am glad to have met you as well."

"I'll be sure to tell the queen that she has you and your friend to thank for helping her daughter."

Quirrel froze. "The-the queen..?

Quirrel glances in the direction of the lift. "Angel! Angel, come back!"

Violet and Collector laugh as Quirrel rushes after his little friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, Collector and Angel are capable of manipulating the shape of their bodies. This is simply a normal occurrence for more void creatures in my au. This does not include a certain protagonist that will be making an appearance soon.  
> Meanwhile, what Angel meant by Violet not being their sibling is that she wasn't born of void like Angel or Collector were.


	4. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Collector brings Violet to the gardens to see her mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another instance where The Collector proceeds to be unintentionally creepy. Involves a popular theory in the Hollow Knight discord server regarding the corpse where the love key is located.

As promised, Violet allows her friend, The Collector, to come with her to see her mother after being away for so long. They have come a long way already, and have done so in a relatively quick manner, especially for traveling on foot; The Collector was rather hesitant on riding the stag, much to Violet's wonder. Soon, the duo arrive in the queen's gardens. Violet feels excited to see her mother again. When she glances up at The Collector, however, she finds its expression to be a bit anxious.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

**"Collector knows this place,"** it says rather absentmindedly.

"You seem to know a lot about the kingdom and where everything is," Violet comments, "maybe even better than me!"

**"Yeah,"** it mumbles.

"I guess you weren't always stuck in that tower, huh?"

The Collector doesn't respond. It looks at the ground silently. In truth, The Collector is nervous that Violet might want to stay and live with her mother. It can't bear the thought of losing its best friend.

When they finally arrive at Violet's old home, Violet freezes in place. Leaned against the house is the body of her mother's guard, and her old friend.

"D...Dryya..?"

Violet slowly approaches the ivory armour. She can hardly believe what she is seeing. "No…" She attempts to lift one of the Knight's arms, only to discover the horrifying stiffness of the body, along with its icy cold temperature. Tears begin to form in her eyes. "N-no, no…"

The Collector stops by her side. **"Vi..?"**

"D-Dryya…" Violet bursts into tears, hugging The Collector tightly. She trembles with distraught. "She's dead...I can't believe she's dead…"

The Collector, having never met the fierce Knight, can only comfort Violet by placing a hand upon her head in a gentle manner.

"I wanna go home...Collector, please take me home…"

** "But what about Mother--" **

"I don't want to see her…what if she's dead too? Let's just go home…"

The Collector hesitates, then nods.

On the way back to the tower through Greenpath, The Collector does its best to comfort its friend. **"I'm sorry, Vi...Collector shouldn't have brought you here." **

The child, still stricken with grief, continues to cry. "I don't...ever want to go back there…"

The Collector brings her into a hug.

"I can't believe it...all this time, Dryya was…"

**"Shh...there there…"**

Violet's lip quivers. "C-can we rest here?"

**"Of course,"** The Collector nods.

The two come to a patch of soft moss. The Collector lies on its side, allowing Violet to use its body as a pillow. Violet lays her head against The Collector's belly, and before long, the two drift off to sleep.

~ ~ ~

_ … _

_ "My child… _

_ "Do not fret... _

_ "Your mother is here… _

_ "Come back…" _

_…_

"M...Mother…" Violet mumbles in her sleep.

A familiar voice, along with the vision of a beautiful white light awakens Violet from her slumber. She sits up, finding The Collector still fast asleep. The voice lingers in her mind, soothing her. Calling her.

Then she hears it again.

_"I'm here…"_

"Mother..?" Violet whispers.

_"This way…"_

A soft glow appears before her. Violet rubs her eyes with disbelief. When she opens them again, a faint trail of white ferns had begun to sprout in the soil. Violet stands up, glances at her sleeping friend, and begins to follow the trail of ferns.

The glowing plants lead the child back towards the gardens. Along the way, the voice continues to speak to her softly.

_ "I'm here...it's alright…" _

Violet eventually finds herself approaching the corpse of her friend. She freezes, pain gripping her heart.

_ "Don't be afraid..."  _

Violet hesitates. Finally, she musters up the courage to enter the house she once called home. Once inside, she is greeted by the white glow she had seen in her dream. This time, however, it has a form.

Violet stands before the higher being, awestruck. "M-Mother..?"

The queen opens her blue eyes. "My child, you've returned…"

Tears roll down Violet's face. "Mother!" She gives her mother a big hug. "You're okay!"

"Of course I am," her mother giggles.

"I'm so sorry I didn't return sooner," Violet laments.

"That's quite alright, my child…" The White Lady sighs. "Oh, if only I could see you now…"

"What do you mean? I'm right here!"

"Yes, but my eyes have been clouded by time…I cannot see nearly as well as I used to..."

Violet looks up at her mother's eyes. A chill goes up and down her spine. "You…you've gone blind..?"

"I'm afraid so…"

"Oh...oh, Mother…" Violet hugs her mother again.

"....Enough about me," the queen says a moment later, "what have you been up to, little one? Not living alone, I hope."

"Actually, I've been living with a close friend of mine," she says. "I met him after traveling across the entire kingdom. He's really nice, and he even saved me!"

"Oh, how wonderful!" The White Lady smiles.

"Yeah, Collector's really fun."

"Collector?"

"Oh, that's what I call him," Violet says. "He didn't seem to have a name when I met him. In fact, I don't know what kind of bug he is…"

The queen appears to become a bit concerned. "What does this Collector look like?"

"Um...he's tall, has a black body and white eyes, and four arms."

"Oh dear…"

Violet tilts her head. "What's wrong?"

"...They wouldn't happen to live in a tower located at the kingdom's edge, would they?"

"Yeah, I live with him there!"

"...My child, there is something I should tell you…"

Violet's face contorts with worry. "What is it?"

"Well, you see, there is a reason why you haven't been able to guess what they are… I'm afraid your friend is...a construct born of darkness."

"I...I know...what's so bad about that?"

The White Lady hesitates. "Your father...he had experimented with this emptiness, all for one purpose: to find a way to end the infection that plagues the kingdom."

"You...you mean the sickness?"

"That's right," she replies. "I have reason to believe that your friend is one of the earliest attempts at creating such a cure. Unfortunately, something went wrong. It had misunderstood the order it was given... Your father decided it was best to lock it away in the Tower of Love."

"What? Just because of one mistake?"

"It was deemed too dangerous for it to continue to reside in the White Palace," the queen explains.

"Dangerous? How? He wouldn't even--"

" _It_ , my child…"

Violet frowns. "No...no no, you're wrong. Collector would never hurt anyone!"

"Believe that as you may, little one, though it was still considered a nuisance. It seemed rather set on making a mess of things, and generally causing trouble. I can only imagine the frustration it had brought my dear Wyrm. I cannot blame the construct, however...your father had chosen to play with fire. Such opposed power tends to have a mind of its own…"

"I don't care," Violet argues, "he's my best friend!"

"What about Dryya? Have you forgotten to say hello to her on your way in? I'm sure she would like it if you paid her a visit."

The queen's mention of the deceased Knight brings more tears to Violet's eyes. She turns on her heels and begins to storm away.

"Little one, don't be angry," her mother says.

Violet stops, glancing in her mother's direction. "You don't even remember my name, do you?"

"My child...don't go…"

Violet's heart feels as though it has been pierced by a lance. She can hardly believe that her mother really doesn't remember her name. She turns and leaves her mother's refuge.

"Please come back," her mother calls, but Violet ignores her.

Angry and confused, a weeping Violet wanders through the gardens. She can't believe her mother thinks her only friend is a monster. Not only that, but how could she have forgotten the name of her own child? Violet can't wait to leave this place and never return.

To her dismay, she makes a wrong turn, soon finding herself lost. There has to be an alternate route somewhere! She soon stumbles upon a dead end, housing a sight she never expected to see a second time: the corpse of a bug from the city. To her astonishment, she recalls finding the key to the Tower of Love here. Violet stares at the body, then at the streaks under its eyes. She recognizes the black substance instantly. The corpse not only has remnants of void, but appears to hold somewhat of a resemblance to her friend.

**"Violet…"**

Violet spins around, startled to find that The Collector is standing behind her. "Collector, there you are!"

**"You...left me…"**

The Collector's uncharacteristic tone takes her by surprise. "I'm sorry..."

The Collector shuts its eyes. ** "Why poor Collector..? All alone..? Collector doesn't want that again…"**

"What..?"

The Collector doesn't answer her question. **"You found it here...didn't you? The key..."**

Violet remains silent.

It laughs quietly. ** "It's mine, it's all mine…"**

Violet deadpans. "What is? The key?"

 **"Oh, Violet, don't you see,"** Collector says mid laugh. **"Here, right here,"** it gestures at the corpse, **"it's mine…"**

"I don't understand…"

The Collector looks to be smiling now. ** "They were like Collector...had a goal like mine...so we worked together, and now...we _stay_ together."**

Violet glances at the body, and at the faint similarities between it and The Collector. She recalls what her mother had told her about void. Soon, her mind conjures up a horrible thought. "Y-you mean...that the two of you...merged?"

 **"Yes…yes, you understand!"** The Collector giggles with glee.

Violet takes a step back. "You...you killed them… You took their mind…"

 **"...Violet, we really best be going,"** it says, as if trying to change the subject.

Violet's heart begins to race. "C-Collector… you're not...just trying to protect me, are you..?"

The Collector slowly inches closer with its hands outstretched.

Violet soon finds herself backed against the wall. "W-what do you want from me..?"

The Collector does not answer immediately. Its face gets uncomfortably close to hers. With a chilling tone, it whispers, **"I want you to stay…"**

"Collector…" Violet says fearfully.

 **"I'll keep you safe with me,"** it promises.

"B-but I can take care of myself!"

 **"Oh, I doubt that…"** Collector says with a laugh. ** "You don't know how long I've gone without having anyone else to talk to. You are more important to me than you think, my love!"**

"Y-you...you…" Violet can hardly speak.

The Collector laughs grimly. **"Collector was ever so lonely before it met you...I don't want to make the same mistake...I can't let you go. Never."**

"Mother was right about you…"

**"Mother?" **

"Y-you are dangerous…"

**"Violet, my love, I would never hurt you." **

"But you'd keep me locked away with you, until I…" Violet immediately regrets her words.

The Collector seems shocked. It shuts its eyes and chuckles. **"Is that what you think Collector wants..?"**

Violet's breath catches in her throat. She cannot say a word. The unbearable bewilderment makes her head spin.

The Collector proceeds to laugh, causing Violet to tremble. Its invisible smile soon fades. ** "I never asked to become this...neither of us did."**

"I...I don't...believe you…"

 **"...Fine,"** Collector sighs, **"but know this: I would never dream of hurting you. Harming is not in my nature...I can't go against that."**

"I-I thought you were my friend!" Violet exclaims.

**"...What?" **

"You just...y-you want to be just like me...you want to do the same thing to me..!" Tears begin to form in her eyes.

**"No! No no no, my love! You're mistaken!" **

"I don't care...I don't care, just get away from me!" Violet forces her way past The Collector.

**"Wait, Violet-!" **

The Collector never meant to scare her. There must be something it can say to stop her, something to prove that it is only trying to help. Then it hatches an idea.

 **"She never went looking for you!"** Collector calls.

This successfully stops Violet in her tracks. She turns around to face The Collector. "W-what..?"

**"Collector would have looked for you...had you been theirs...but she didn't." **

"She...she couldn't…"

**"Collector would have found a way…" **

"But…" Violet doesn't know what to say to this. Does the queen really care about what happens to her daughter? The pain in her chest grows stronger.

"No, it...it's not true…"

The Collector sighs. **"Father didn't care about Collector...we're no different."**

"I-I don't know what to do…" Violet begins to cry again. "Who am I supposed to trust..?"

 **"Violet...I promise I won't let anyone hurt you. _I_ won't hurt you...I just want to keep you safe…"** The Collector holds its arms out to its sides, hoping to receive a hug. **"Please…"**

Violet's lip trembles. She runs towards The Collector and jumps into its arms. "I'm sorry…" she sobs. "I'm so sorry…"

 **"It's okay…" **The Collector whispers in return.

"Collector...I want the pain to go away…"

The Collector stops to examine her. **"You're hurt?"**

"No...it hurts in here," Violet places a hand over her heart.

 **"Oh, my love…"** Collector hugs her dearly.

The two continue their embrace for a while. Soon, Violet begins to feel a little better.

"I don't know what came over me…I shouldn't have overreacted like that...I guess I'm just still upset about Dryya. I don't know…" Violet sniffles, the memories of her old friend threatening to bring more tears. "I...I almost lost you too…"

The Collector doesn't respond. It feels bad for the way it had convinced Violet to stay. Her mother probably does love her with all her heart...but does the queen love The Collector the same way? Collector doubts this. Regardless, it still feels terrible. Is it no better than the king himself?

Violet wipes away her tears. "Let's go home, okay?"

The Collector nods hesitantly. After standing up, The Collector takes Violet's hand and begins to lead her out of the gardens.

 **"Collector loves Violet,"** it says.

Violet is surprised to hear it say this. "I love you too."

Collector seems to smile softly. It closes its eyes and cries tears of joy. She still loves Collector...even after everything it had done. It hardly deserves this, but is still thankful to have her by its side. The Collector cannot help but to laugh happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This won't be the first time the love bug will make an appearance...


End file.
